Improvement in street-cars



1. STEP H EN 80 N.

Street-Gar.

No. 16156] & Patented March 30,1875.

WIT/9581958 THE GRAPHIC COPHOTO LITH-EIQBM PARK PLAC LN-K JOHNSTEPHENSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN STREET'CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 161,567, dated March30, 1875; application filed March 2, 1875.

CASE G To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN STEPHENSON, of New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Street-Oars and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section taken throughthe center of a streetcar having my improvements applied thereto; andFig.2 a vertical transverse section of the same, the runninggear in bothviews being removed.

The roofs of street-cars, because of their form and lightness ofstructure, are apt to settle, thus not only destroying the comeliness oftheir outline, but damaging the strength of the car. This is moreespecially true where the roofs are provided with seats, and withopenings for ventilation or other purposes.

My invention relates to an improved mode of constructing the upperportion of the car, and is designed to remedy this weakness andconsequent ill results; and it consists, first, in shortening the lengthof the roof to the length of the body or thereabout, and then providingthe latter with independent and detachable canopies or bonnets at itsfront and rear ends; secondly, in re-enforcing the support of the roofby the arrangement of one or more rods, s0 connected to its under sideby a system of brackets, and to the ends of the car, as that each shallform a suspension-truss for the purpose; and, thirdly, in thearrangement of an additional ventilating opening or openings at each endof the car, immediately between the under side of the roof and the outerside of the canopy or bonnet.

To enable others skilled in the art to make, construct, and use myimprovement, I will now proceed to describe it in detail.

The lower part of the main body of the car need not be made in any otherthan the ordinary way, so far as my present improvements are concerned.A car suitable for the purpose is represented in the drawings, in whichthe body A is of the ordinary construction, with the exception of theroof B, which is shortened to the length of the ear or thereabout. Thisroof is supported in the ordinary way upon arched ribs or rafters a, andmay or may not be provided with a dome, and with seats on its top. Inthis instance, however, it is represented as being provided with a dome,O, and with a seat, D, on each side of the latter. The roof, as well assome of its rafters, is cut through to receive a dome, which may be ofany relative length of the car required. This construction isnecessarilyweak in itself, and hence I strengthen it by means of tworods, 12, bent into curved form in the line of their length, they beingcurvilinearly deflected from each end toward the sides and bottom of thecar, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, one being arranged on each side of thecar, as shown in Fig. 2. Each of these rods is made to pass through anopening in each of a series of brackets, 0, made fast to the under sideof rafters a, and through the two ends of the car near their upperverge. The ends of these rods have screw-threads cut on them, and areprovided with corresponding nuts d, by means of which to adjust andsecure them to the ends of the car when passed through for that purpose.These nuts bear against washers having their surfaces in the same planeas that of the nuts. These nuts, when properly tightened up, cause therods to carry the weight of the roof, the rods for this purpose, asbefore stated, being slightly deflected or curved in the middle, thusforming a suspension-truss with secure anchorage, and may be made ofsize and strength sufficient to sustain any necessary burden that may bereasonably required of it.

These truss-rods are made of metal, either solid or tubular, but Iprefer the latter. In fact, a gas-pipe of three-fourths of an inch indiameter answers admirably the purpose. Ordinarily these tubes willanswer as a handrail, and thus dispense with the latter, thoughhand-rails may be also used, if deemed either desirable or advantageous.

Instead of using two truss-rods, b, one at each side, only one may beused. Where but one is used the brackets a, through which they pass,would require to be made double-that is to say, of two joined in one,and then secured to the opposite rafters; but I prefer to use twoinstead of a single truss-rod. In fact, in some cases even more might beused with advantage.

These trusses may be adjusted to sustain a greaterlor less proportion ofthe weight of the roof by simply turning the nuts upon their threadedends, according to the direction required to lessen or increase theircurvature, as by lessening it the rods will sustain more, and viceversa.

Each end of the car is provided with abounet or canopy, E. These bonnetsare secured to their respective ends at a short distance below the lineof the roof, and in such manner as to be readily detachable therefrom.In each end of the car, between the :roof and bonnet, is formed aventilating opening or openings, e. Otherlsuitable ventilating-openingsf are also formed in theroofimmediately' beneath the supplementary roofor seats D. Each of these openings may be provided with a ventilator ofapproved pattern and construction, or with a small door andglasstransparency, if desired.

Where the supplementary roof D is used as a seat for outside passengersthe car may be provided with appropriate foot-rests and safety-railings,and with suitable ladders wherewith to ascend to and descend from theroof.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a street-car, the combination of one or more adjustabletruss-rods, b, with a short roof, B, and detachable canopies,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of one or more curved adjustable truss rods, b, withthe roof and ends of a car, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

3. A street-car roof, with an opening therein, in combination with oneor more adjustable truss-rods, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

4. In a street-car, the combination of an elevation above the generalplane of the roof with one or more adjustable truss-rods, as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. The combinationof a street-car roof, with seats thereon, and one ormore adjustable truss-rods, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a street-car, the combination of supporting-trusses with the roofand ends, having openings for ventilation between the under side of theroof and the upper side of the respective bonnets, substantially as setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

JOHN STEPHENSON. Witnesses:

WM. JOHN WALKER, JOHN SMITH.

